359/601; 359/611; 33/244
The field of the invention relates to geometrical instruments and specifically to an adjustable anti-glare device for use on devices having objective lenses, i.e., a variety of telescopes spotting scopes, binoculars, cameras, and video cameras.
Sunshade equipment for use in providing protection from glare on objective lenses is used in the prior art. Examples of such devices may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,140 to Brown et al, which is for a sun shading device for binoculars, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,117, which is for a sunshade for a rifle scope. U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,767 to Kawai is for a hood-like structure that is clamped onto a camera lens. U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,517 to Fukino et al is for a similar type of lens hood that clamps to a lens housing. These devices are designed to reduce glare on the lenses from above, but they do not fully address the problem of glare from either side.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,135 to Cowles does address the problem of additional glare sources, but discloses a rigid precise device that requires complicated manufacturing methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,298 to Lentz discloses a television lens shade including a soft mounting means to surround the lens and to support separate shading structures. It does not disclose the use of the mounting means as a sun shade.
All of the above listed shading devices are specific to only one field of objective lenses, i.e. rifle scopes, binoculars or cameras. The present invention is not specific to only one field as it is so completely adjustable that it fits a variety of types of objective lenses in housings, i.e. telescopic scopes, spotting scopes, binoculars, cameras,, or video cameras.
The present invention is effective, attached easily, and quickly removed. All of the prior inventions required more complicated methods of manufacture than those required by the present invention. There continues to be a need for a new and improved anti-glare device for objective lenses and the present invention substantially fills that need.
The primary use of this invention is as an attachment to a housing for an objective lens or lenses to reduce glare upon the lens or lenses. This anti-glare device is comprised of a sheet of thin, flexible foam rubber, or the like, having sufficient rigidity to maintain a rolled assigned shape around the housing of the lens or lenses while projecting beyond an end of the housing. Strips of hook and loop type members, sold under the trade name xe2x80x9cVelcroxe2x80x9d, or other devices, are used for holding the sheet in the rolled configuration as a sleeve around the housing and projecting beyond an end of the housing. This construction permits the attachment of the anti-glare device quickly and firmly to the housings of many different types of objective lenses. The anti-glare device of the invention is easily and quickly removed and folds up compactly and is easily stored in pockets, camera cases, etc. This anti-glare device also costs less to manufacture and fits on a larger variety of lens housings than do devices heretofore known.